Now, those beers and meat options are a perfect meal before going to battle the Anglo-Saxons.

Storm the Castle

Castle Island Brewing Company, 31 Astor Ave., Norwood, had a grand opening this past weekend at their new taproom.

Previously, the taproom featured samples and beer to go. But, now, it’s a full-service taproom featuring 16 beers on tap that are available in full pints.

The taproom includes large communal tables, board games and other entertainment. There is also snack-type food always available, including tortilla chips, giant pretzels and fancy jerky. There will also be a rotating list of food trucks visting the brewery so there will also be more substantial food available.

The taproom is scheduled to be open seven days a week – 4 to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. No children are allowed after 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Currently, growlers and crowlers are not available, but cans of beer to-go are being sold, along with various other pieces of brewery swag.

A taste of Austria

Smuttynose Brewing Company of Hampton, New Hampshire, has released its newest year-round beer, the Pinniped Special, a Vienna lager.

Now, I know you shouldn’t judge a beer by its label, but man, the seal on the bottle is the cutest thing you’ll ever see. Luckily, the brewery sent me a sample so I had a chance to try the beer, and I discovered it is worthy of such an adorable label. Easy drinking, slight caramel notes with a little hint of grassy hops in the finish.

“We’ve always been fans of the Vienna lagers, so we were really excited to offer this beer year-round,” said Peter Egelston, the founder and president of Smuttynose. “Our brewmaster, Steve Schmidt, used classic ingredients and brewing techniques to make it as authentic and true to style as possible, and we think Vienna would be proud.”

The Pinniped Special comes in at 5.1 percent alcohol by volume and is available in six-packs and 12-packs.

Norman Miller is a Daily News staff writer. Email him at nmiller@wickedlocal.com or call 508-626-3823. Check out the Beer Nut blog at http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/section/blogs01?taxid=646&start=2. Follow him on Twitter @RealBeerNutand on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerBeerNut